Sunrise host Natalie Barr confronts politician with tough Lisa Wilkinson question

Natalie Barr asked Tanya Plibersek six times if she was approached to raise Brittney Higgins’ alleged assault in Question Time.

The Sunrise host pinned the former deputy leader of the Labor party on the subject after last night’s explosive revelations that Ms Higgins’, her boyfriend David Sharaz and Lisa Wilkinson had ‘brainstormed’ friendly MPs who could ‘fire questions’ over the sexual assault allegation before her interview on The Project in February 2021. 

In the recording of the five-hour lunch, aired for the first time by 7News Spotlight during an interview with Bruce Lehrmann on Sunday night, Ms Wilkinson said Ms Plibersek would ‘definitely’ be a friendly MP who could do their bidding by raising the subject in parliament. 

Ms Higgins alleges she was raped by Mr Lehrmann in Parliament House after a night out in 2019. Mr Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence. 

On Sunrise this morning, Ms Barr repeatedly asked Ms Plibersek whether she was approached to raise Ms Higgins’ complaint and asked her to ‘answer the question’ after she initially deflected.

‘With respect, could you answer the question?’, said Ms Barr. 

‘Were you approached by Lisa Wilkinson or her producer to raise Britney Higgins’ alleged assaults in question time, Tanya?’

Ms Plibersek eventually said she had not been approached by Ms Wilkinson or her producer but admitted that she had spoken to Ms Higgins. 

The Sunrise host then asked her multiple times if Ms Higgins had asked her to raise her allegations in parliament.

Ms Higgins (pictured outside court with her partner David Sharaz) alleged Mr Lehrmann, her former colleague, sexually assaulted her in Parliament House after a night out in 2019. he has always denied the allegation

Lisa Wilkinson (pictured leaving a café hours before Bruce Lehrmann’s Spotlight interview aired) had a five-hour lunch with Brittany Higgins and her boyfriend David Sharaz a few days prior to Ms Higgins’ interview on The Project – when she first aired her rape allegations

‘I checked on her, she did not have to approach me – I checked on her,’ replied Ms Plibersek.

‘I wanted to make sure she was going OK and I was very worried about a woman young enough to be my daughter who made a very serious allegation about a very serious crime in Parliament House,’ she said.

But asked for a sixth time whether Ms Higgins asked her to highlight her case in parliament, Ms Plibersek eventually said she did not ‘recall anything like that’.

‘She is a very – was very upset and fragile young woman that I was checking on,’ she said. 

‘That’s my involvement here.’

Ms Plibersek, who is now environment minister, later added that she had no intention of watching Mr Lehrmann’s interview. 

 ‘I’m not deciding the case here, this has gone through the courts and the result is as the result is and it makes no difference whether I watch it or not,’ she said.